Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Nairobi Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Nairobi

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,262 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $763 in Nairobi, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,158 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,268 in Nairobi, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,054 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,772 in Nairobi, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 65% more than Nairobi, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Nairobi are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Nairobi 43% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.61 MX$201

$5.31 KES 685

118.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$742

$37.93 KES 4,896

12.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.60 MX$184

$6.65 KES 859

59.40%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.3

$2.44 KES 314

47.13%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.45 MX$25.21

$0.70 KES 90.7

107.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 MX$15.58

$0.55 KES 70.4

63.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$52.6

$2.31 KES 298

31.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.56 MX$79.2

$2.95 KES 380

54.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 MX$25.20

$0.88 KES 114

64.77%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 MX$31.72

$0.57 KES 73.4

221.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.92

$1.59 KES 205

1.26%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$44.05

$1.68 KES 217

51.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.54 MX$148

$11.40 KES 1,471

-25.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.47 MX$147

$6.64 KES 857

27.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$189

$5.57 KES 718

94.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 MX$47.37

$3.15 KES 407

-13.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.91

$1.04 KES 135

43.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 MX$33.73

$2.17 KES 280

-10.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.57

$1.02 KES 131

111.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.05

$1.02 KES 132

81.37%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$38.00

$1.13 KES 145

93.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.62

$0.70 KES 90.5

52.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.81

$0.81 KES 104

33.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.06 MX$70.5

$3.14 KES 405

29.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.46 MX$182

$11.65 KES 1,504

-10.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 MX$28.71

$2.18 KES 281

-24.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.55 MX$44.23

$2.75 KES 355

-7.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.56 MX$9.65

$0.76 KES 98.0

-26.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.20 MX$455

$31.27 KES 4,036

-16.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$54.5

$1.52 KES 196

106.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.37 MX$41.17

$1.50 KES 194

58.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 MX$56.2

$2.85 KES 367

13.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.81

$1.54 KES 199

-14.94%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$30.5K MX$530.2K

$21.9K KES 2.8M

39.55%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$23.8K MX$413.6K

$20.3K KES 2.6M

17.28%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$83.1 MX$1,443

$34.60 KES 4,466

140.29%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$22.15 MX$385

$16.64 KES 2,148

33.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.37 MX$510

$39.82 KES 5,140

-26.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.2 MX$889

$42.27 KES 5,455

21.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.69 MX$324

$20.64 KES 2,664

-9.45%

Cinema Ticket

$4.89 MX$84.9

$6.26 KES 807

-21.88%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$199 MX$3,449

$204 KES 26.3K

-2.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,207 MX$90.4K

$7,885 KES 1.0M

-33.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.93 MX$624

$18.29 KES 2,361

96.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.39 MX$684

$23.62 KES 3,049

66.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.3 MX$1,394

$66.2 KES 8,543

21.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.6 MX$1,520

$56.7 KES 7,312

54.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.7K

$449 KES 57.9K

114.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 MX$8,370

$184 KES 23.7K

162.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,645 MX$28.6K

$1,129 KES 145.7K

45.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,192 MX$20.7K

$433 KES 55.9K

174.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,957 MX$68.7K

$1,566 KES 202.1K

152.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,513 MX$113.1K

$903 KES 116.6K

620.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$726 MX$12.6K

$406 KES 52.4K

78.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

14.84

-23.05%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 12, 2026

Last update for Nairobi: April 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $449 in Nairobi. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 79% higher in Playa del Carmen, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen versus $38 in Nairobi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $253 vs $205 – making Nairobi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Playa del Carmen vs Nairobi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen costs about 65% more than Nairobi, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,894 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,144 in Nairobi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Nairobi, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 19% less in Nairobi. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $199 per month in Playa del Carmen and $204 in Nairobi. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Nairobi, where all-in costs run around $763, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,262. In Nairobi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Nairobi costs $763 versus $1,262 in Playa del Carmen. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Nairobi. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.